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OBJECTIVE: Musculoskeletal pain is a common problem among professional musicians as well as music students. Studies have emphasized the effectiveness of music-specific physiotherapy for affected musicians. This study was designed to evaluate if physiotherapy treatment of pain-affected music students had an impact on pain perception as well as psychological well-being. To explore the possible development of musculoskeletal pain, depression, and anxiety, a second sample of pain-free music students, matched for age and gender, was examined twice at identical time intervals. METHODS: A convenience sample of 31 university music students with moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain and 31 pain-free music students, matched in age and gender, were included in the study. Both groups were examined physically and completed biographical, music-related, and psychological questionnaires. Perceived pain intensity was assessed with a visual-analogue scale (VAS), and depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Music students with pain received a series of 12 sessions of musician-specific physiotherapy, while controls waited for the same amount of time for retesting. RESULTS: On the 10-cm VAS, music students with pain reported an average improvement in pain intensity from a baseline of 6.25 (SD 1.95) to 2.7 (2.03) after the intervention, while the controls (music students without pain) did not change. Furthermore, music students with pain indicated higher depression and anxiety scores as compared to the control group before and after therapy. After intervention, music students with pain with higher BDI-II scores demonstrated clinical improvement concerning depression, but no significant improvement in mental health was found in the pain group taken as a whole. CONCLUSION: Physiotherapy was effective in reducing pain symptoms in music students affected by chronic musculoskeletal pain. However, physiotherapy did not improve mental health in pain-affected music students. Additional psychotherapeutic interventions may be needed to support music students with psychological comorbidities such as depression and anxiety.

Advancements in the field of wireless and mobile communication motivate academia, industry, and standardisation organisations to explore new technologies to improve overall efficiency, spectrum utilisation, power consumption, and security. One of the most essential technologies proposed for short-range communications, which will play a key role in 5G wireless networks, is device-to-device (D2D) communications. D2D communication enables direct communication between two devices when they are in close proximity without requiring the help of a fixed infrastructure like base stations. Despite the significant benefits provided by D2D communications, this new networking communication paradigm introduces unique security threats to D2D services that should be solved in order to limit any malicious attacks. Towards this end, in this paper, we focus on secure D2D communications and propose a protocol for establishing secure D2D communication using elliptic curve cryptography. The protocol utilises: (i) specific Mobile Identifiers acquired from the hardware of the mobile phone (i.e. IMEI) and the SIM card (i.e. IMSI, MSISDN) provided by the mobile operator and (ii) the SIM storage for saving private keys or signature data. The proposed security protocol is verified and validated with the help of the Scyther tool, and the performance is evaluated in terms of resiliency analysis.

Salt crystallization is a major cause of damage in porous building materials. Accelerated salt weathering tests carried out in the laboratory are among the most common methods to assess the durability of material to salt decay. However, existing standards and recommendations for salt weathering tests have limitations in terms of effectiveness and/or reliability. In the framework of the RILEM Technical Committee 271-ASC, a procedure has been developed which proposes a new approach to salt crystallization tests. It starts from the consideration that salt damage can be seen as a process developing in two phases: accumulation of the salt in the material and propagation of the decay. In the first phase, salts are introduced in the material and accumulate close to the evaporation surface, while in the second phase damage propagates because of repeated dissolution and crystallization cycles, induced by re-wetting with liquid water and by relative humidity changes. In this paper, the procedure is described and the results of a first round robin validation of the test, carried out on 7 materials and involving 10 laboratories, are presented. The results show that the procedure is effective to cause decay within the time period of the test (about 3 months) and that the decay increases with subsequent cycles. The decay observed differs in type and severity depending on the salt type and concentration and on the type of substrate. The decay types detected in the laboratories are generally representative of those observed in the field for the selected substrates. The differences in durability between the various substrates, as assessed at the end of the test, are in line with the durability expected based on field observation. The reproducibility of the results in terms of decay type is good; some differences have been observed in terms of material loss. These are more significant in the case of NaCl contaminated specimens. Based on the results, proposals for fine-tuning of the procedure are given., Materials and Structures, 55 (9), ISSN:1359-5997, ISSN:1871-6873

Objective Adequate treatment of deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) after open thoracic surgery still presents a major challenge. This study retrospectively analyzes the results of a single center's 12-year experience in treating DSWI, with special emphasis on free flap reconstruction. Methods In this single-center, retrospective study, all patients admitted with the diagnosis of DSWI after open thoracic surgery between 2009 and 2020 were included. A comparative analysis was performed between: (1) pedicled versus free flaps, (2) the center's two workhorse flaps—the pedicled latissimus dorsi (pLD) versus free anterolateral thigh (fALT) flaps, as well as (3) myocutaneous (MC) versus fasciocutaneous (FC) flaps. Primary endpoints were length of hospital stay (LOS) after reconstruction and in-hospital mortality. Results Of a total of 165 patients included, 152 underwent DSWI defect reconstruction with a total of 12 different reconstruction methods. Although the defect size was larger in patients who underwent free flap coverage, and the risk profile in the fALT and FC flap groups was higher, the LOS after reconstruction (in days) did not differ significantly between the groups (pedicled vs. free flaps: 23 vs. 28, p > 0.05; pLD vs. fALT: 24.5 vs. 26, p > 0.05; MC vs. FC flaps: 23 vs. 26, p > 0.05). Also, no significant differences were found in terms of in-hospital mortality when comparing the groups (pedicled vs. free flaps: 11.2 vs. 17.4%, p > 0.05; pLD vs. fALT: 11.5 vs. 12.5%, p > 0.05; MC vs. FC flaps: 12.9 vs. 12.5%, p > 0.05) Conclusion With proper patient selection, free tissue transfer is a valuable alternative in the treatment of sternal dehiscence after a DSWI. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that MC flaps are not necessarily superior to FC flaps in the reconstruction of sternal osteomyelitis defects.

This recommendation is devoted to testing the resistance of natural stone and fired-clay brick units against salt crystallization. The procedure was developed by the RILEM TC 271-ASC to evaluate the durability of porous building materials against salt crystallization through a laboratory method that allows for accelerated testing without compromising the reliability of the results. The new procedure is designed to replicate salt damage caused by crystallization near the surface of materials as a result of capillary transport and evaporation. A new approach is proposed that considers the presence of two stages in the salt crystallization test. In the first, the accumulation stage, salts gradually accumulate on or near the surface of the material due to evaporation. In the second, the propagation stage, damage initiates and develops due to changes in moisture content and relative humidity that trigger salt dissolution and crystallization cycles. To achieve this, two types of salt were tested, namely sodium chloride and sodium sulphate, with each salt tested separately. A methodology for assessing the salt-induced damage is proposed, which includes visual and photographical observations and measurement of material loss. The procedure has been preliminarily validated in round robin tests.

Background: Remdesivir, a drug in use for Ebola it is already tested in clinical trials phase III. Objective: To evaluate any other possible related structures with similar properties that could be used in clinical trials for COVID-19. Methods: Molecular docking studies, DFT studies, ADMET studies Result: Saquinavir is a chemical structure with similar and even a better chemical activity that drugs that entered clinical trials for Covid-19 Conclusion: Saquinavir should be entered the clinical trials for the treatment of the COVID-19 disease, as it has shown excellent binding affinities to SARS Cov-2 RNA depended polymerase and forms stable complexes with the protein and could possible inhibited its action.

This paper focuses on D2D communication for 5G/6G in dynamic environments where the D2D network topology changes through time due to D2D Devices’ mobility. Specifically, we consider a scenario within the coverage area of a Base Station (BS) serving a number of User Devices (UEs), with variations in speed and direction causing changes in the D2D network topology, either via direct connections or via D2D single-hop or D2D Multi-hop paths. Based on this scenario, we formulate a problem aiming to maximise the total Spectral Efficiency (SE) whilst minimising the total Power Consumption (PC), by selecting the best transmission mode that the D2D devices will operate. In order to address the aforementioned problem, the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Solution (DAIS) plan proposed in our earlier work and designed for static environments is extended to consider the mobility (i.e., speed, direction and indirectly link distance change) of the D2D Device, targeting the dynamic creation of stable and efficient clusters and good backhauling links towards the gateway. The enhanced DAIS performance is comparatively evaluated in terms of SE and PC against selected variations in UE speed and direction, changes in the link Transmission Power (TP), and an increase in the number of Devices in the D2D network. Overall, the results obtained demonstrated superior performance of enhanced DAIS over all the other related investigated approaches (i.e., Distributed Sum Rate (DSR), Single Hop Relay Approach (SHRA), Distributed Random (DR)), in terms of Spectral Efficiency (SE) and Power Consumption (PC). Also, the ability of enhanced DAIS to react and adapt quickly and efficiently to D2D network topology changes, with reduced signalling overhead and control delay in responding to changes, shows that it is a well-poised approach to be used in a Dynamic D2D Environment.

We report an efficient catalytic protocol that chemoselectively reduces nitroarenes to arylamines, by using methylhydrazine as a reducing agent in combination with the easily synthesized and robust...

We study the propagation of high-amplitude sound waves, in the form of pulse-like solitary waves, in an air-filled acoustic waveguide of periodically varying cross section. Our numerical simulations, solving the compressible Navier-Stokes equations in two dimensions, as well as our experimental results, strongly suggest that nonlinear losses, originated from vortex shedding (at the segment changes) are crucial in the dynamics of high amplitude pulses. We find that, even in the presence of strong dissipation, the solitary wave roughly retains its characteristics (as described by the amplitude-velocity-width relations), obtained by the derivation and analysis of an effective Boussinesq equation. In addition, we propose a transmission-line based numerical scheme, able to capture well the experimental results. The proposed design offers a new playground for the study of the combined effects of dispersion, nonlinearity and dissipation in air-borne acoustics, while, due to its simplicity, it can be extended to higher dimensions.

This paper aims to present, via a case study, an interdisciplinary approach towards the comprehensive analysis of historic constructions. The case study monument examined is the Medieval Manor of Potamia in Cyprus. The work hereby presented was based on a collaboration between scientists from the fields of archeology, architecture, materials science/ conservation and structural engineering. A thorough review of historical sources was initially carried out in order to obtain data concerning the history and construction development of the Manor. Extensive field work was undertaken to study the architectural typology and construction detailing of the structures and to explicitly map the various agents of pathology. For the characterization of the historic fabric, masonry materials were sampled and studied at the laboratory. The accumulated data facilitated the development of a Finite Element (FE) model, which was used to numerically assess the structure’s seismic response.

The conservation of 20th century concrete heritage structures poses a major challenge worldwide. Whilst these structures possess a remarkable architectural value and a rather experimental character in terms of the use of materials and technologies, at the same time there is admittedly lack of recognition of their cultural and historical value by the wide public. More often than not, such buildings are left to deteriorate and often they are even demolished. This paper follows the workings of the project “CONSErvation of 20th century concrete Cultural Heritage in urban changing environments” (CONSECH20). The aforementioned international interdisciplinary project aims to investigate concrete constructions built until 1965 in four different European countries (Cyprus, Italy, The Netherlands and the Czech Republic), in terms of their architectural, social and historical value, and to address their restoration and re-use potential. The paper initially presents the significance of 20th century concrete heritage structures in general, and describes the methodology proposed in order to ensure the protection of such buildings from demolition, and facilitate their restoration and re-use (if and where possible) for the benefit of the society. The focus is on the structural assessment and restoration of 20th century concrete heritage buildings in Cyprus, following the methodologies described by modern codes for the assessment and retrofit of existing concrete structures. A new practical analysis approach is described and compared to the force-control approach of the pushover analysis of Eurocode 8:3, which significantly overestimates the demands for seismic upgrading. The two aforementioned approaches are examined for a specific case study concrete heritage building in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Introduction In this study we aimed to systematically investigate and map localization of the individual finger fascicles within the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscles. Methods Using B-mode ultrasonographic assessments, the right forearms of ten healthy participants (five males and five females) were examined during active and passive finger movements. Results A topographical map indicating clear core areas of fascicle activation within the FDS and FDP muscles was created. Borders that could, to some degree, define individual differences were also indicated. Discussion Our findings offer a detailed image of fascicle distributions within the FDS and FDP muscles. Various challenges, such as managing individual muscular profiles or the existence of the palmaris longus muscle, are discussed and should always be taken into consideration. The current map can serve as a general orientation for future measurements or injection therapies.

Objective:The aim of this study was to explore the immediate and short-term effects of a Correction Kinesiotaping intervention on fine motor control in musicians with focal hand dystonia.Design:A single-blinded, single-arm repeated measures, pilot study.Setting:Medical outpatient clinic.Subjects:Seven musicians diagnosed with focal hand dystonia.Interventions:Musicians performed musical exercises under the following conditions: without Kinesiotape (baseline), during a Correction Kinesiotaping intervention and immediately after tape removal (block 1) and during a Sham Kinesiotaping intervention and immediately after tape removal (block 2). Blocks were randomly presented across participants. A tailored Correction Kinesiotaping intervention on affected fingers was provided based on the dystonic pattern that each patient manifested while playing.Main measures:Motor performance was video-documented and independent experts blindly assessed the general performance and fingers’ posture on visual analogue scales. Also, musicians’ self-reports of the musical abilities were evaluated. Finally, electromyographic activity and coactivation index of wrist antagonist muscles were analyzed.Results:No significant differences in effects between Correction Kinesiotaping and Sham Kinesiotaping were reported by the experts, either for general performance ( P > 0.05) or for fingers’ posture ( P > 0.05); any subtle benefits observed during Correction Kinesiotaping were lost after the tape was removed. Musicians estimated that Correction Kinesiotaping was ineffective in improving their musical abilities. Also, no significant changes with respect to the coactivation index ( P > 0.05) were found among the conditions.Conclusion:Correction Kinesiotaping intervention may not be useful to reduce dystonic patterns, nor to improve playing ability, in musicians with focal hand dystonia.

Tinnitus treatment, diagnosis and management across Europe varies significantly. The lack of national clinical guidelines for tinnitus management in most European countries and the absence of a common language across all disciplines involved is reflected in the diversification of healthcare practices. Interprofessional Training for Tinnitus Researchers and Clinicians (Tin-TRAC) is an Erasmus+ project that aims to develop common educational ground in the form of an e-Learning platform, co-created by patients, researchers and clinicians, which is able to unify tinnitus diagnosis and treatment strategies across Europe. A pan-European thematic educational platform integrating the best practices and latest research achievements with regard to tinnitus diagnosis and management has the potential to act as a facilitator of the reduction of interdisciplinary and interregional practice diversification. A detailed analysis of the educational needs of clinicians and researchers across disciplines will be followed by the co-creative development of the curriculum. Reusable learning objects will incorporate the training contents and will be integrated in an open e-Learning platform. Tin-TRAC envisions that its output will answer the need to create a common language across the clinicians and researchers of different disciplines that are involved in tinnitus management, and reduce patients’ prolonged suffering, non-adherence and endless referral trajectories.

Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors have emerged in the treatment of metastatic hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer. However, most patients will eventually present disease progression, highlighting the inevitable resistance of cancer cells to CDK4/6 inhibition. Several studies have suggested that resistance mechanisms involve aberrations of the molecules that regulate the cell cycle, and the re-wiring of the cell to escape CDK4/6 dependence and turn to alternative pathways. Loss of retinoblastoma function, overexpression of CDK 6, upregulation of cyclin E, overexpression of CDK 7, and dysregulation of several signaling pathways, notably the PI3/AKT/mTOR pathway, have been implicated in the development of resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Overlap with endocrine resistance mechanisms might be possible. Combinational therapeutic strategies should be explored in order to prevent resistance and optimize the management of patients after progression under CDK 4/6 inhibition. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. part of Springer Nature.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical conditions such as focal dystonia often require the assessment of atrophy and weakness of the finger muscles. However, due to a lack of well-established protocols, the current investigation focused on assessing the reliability of thickness and strength assessments of the flexor digitorum (FD) muscle, including both the superficialis and profundus components. As a secondary assessment, the reliability of the strength measurement of the extensor digitorum muscle was examined as well. METHODS: Different thickness measurements of the FD were taken via ultrasonography and averaged to estimate the mean thickness of the FD. Likewise, individual finger strength measurements taken by a custom-made finger pressure device were averaged to compute the mean strength of the flexor and extensor digitorum muscles. Test-retest reliability of the above measurements performed at two different time points (about 6 months apart) were examined on the right and left hands of 10 participants. RESULTS: Findings indicated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC > 0.92) for the mean thickness assessment of the FD and mean strength of the flexor and extensor digitorum for both dominant and non-dominant hands. The standard error of measurement was ≤4.3% for all three mean assessments, indicating high sensitivity. Likewise, the smallest detectable change was also sufficiently small for the mean thickness and mean strength of the flexor digitorum (≤5.1%) and moderately small (≤12%) for the strength of the extensor digitorum. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated an excellent relative and absolute reliability, for both hands, for the mean thickness and strength assessments of the flexor digitorum muscle and for the mean strength of the extensor digitorum (measured for both hands). These measurements can be used for future investigations and can contribute to the establishment of more precise methods for assessing the muscles in the forearms which serve the hand.

In silico molecular docking took place in order to evaluate already FDA approved drugs for several diseases, as inhibitors for SARSCov-2 RNA- dependent polymerase. The best candidates with the highest binding affinities, evaluated for their energy determined by their electron density. Remdesivir and Saquinavir seemed to be good candidates for clinical trials but their predicted toxicity based on their calculated structures revealed that these two substances should evaluated more for their side effects

We report the selective photoinduced reduction of nitroarenes to N-arylhydroxylamines. The present methodology facilitates this transformation in the absence of catalyst or additives and uses only light and methylhydrazine. This noncatalytic photoinduced transformation proceeds with a broad scope, excellent functional-group tolerance, and high yields. The potential of this protocol reflects on the selective and straightforward conversion of two general antibiotics, azomycin and chloramphenicol, to the bioactive hydroxylamine species.

We report the selective photoinduced reduction of nitroarenes to

Purpose: Similar to musician’s focal dystonia a task-specific phenomenon, known as yips has also been reported in professional athletes. Yips is usually described as focal dystonia, or choking under pressure, or as lying on a continuum between both. Based on the common occupational conditions across musicians and athletes, the present exploratory study aimed to investigate whether musicians diagnosed with focal dystonia and golfers affected with yips, can be similarly sub-classified based on their psychological profiles. Methods: Twenty healthy musicians, 20 musicians with focal dystonia, 20 healthy golfers and 20 yips-affected golfers went through a test battery including three psycho-diagnostic standardized questionnaires (the Competitive Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Frost’s Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and the Stress Coping Questionnaire), measuring trait cognitive and somatic anxiety, perfectionistic tendencies and different stress coping strategies. Results: Findings based on a clustering procedure suggest that similar to musician’s dystonia, yips-affected golfers can be classified into those with and those without specific elevated perfectionistic, stress and anxiety traits. The roles of these different psychological profiles as possible triggering factors of the yips are discussed and compared to those of musician’s dystonia. Conclusion: The current study suggests that the yips phenomenon might cover a broader range of different subtypes of movement disturbances than those already suggested in the literature. Finally a theoretical model, which explains the role of the different triggering factors in the discrimination of the different subtypes, is suggested. A better classification and understanding of the different subtypes of yips could lead to a more accurate diagnosis and to the design of more individualized treatment intervention.

The use of a modified prototype continuous flow reactor (CFR) as a pivotal part of a number of versatile singlet oxygen‐mediated reaction sequences is presented herein. These sequences target rapid access to structural complexity and diversity. The prototype reactor achieves high conversions and productivities by attaining large specific surface areas for these biphasic reactions. In the reactor, the reaction solution is nebulized (using either oxygen or air) and the resulting aerosol is irradiated by an LED jacket that surrounds the Pyrex reaction chamber. The one pot procedures developed herein are, according to many different criteria, both highly efficient and green. The key common intermediates and the source of both the complexity and variety of the final products are N‐acyl imminium ions (NAI; protonated N‐acyl enamines). The initial substrates are simple and readily accessible furans and the diverse array of products is composed of different complex γ‐lactams. Many of the products are of particular interest due to their close relationships to known biologically active molecules.

OBJECTIVES: Playing-related pain (PRP) is a common problem among music students. We retrospectively assessed epidemiological factors that contributed to the manifestation of PRP and evaluated the efficacy of treatment methods used by affected music students. The long-term course of PRP symptoms was also examined, along with current (today) levels of trait anxieties. METHODS: Demographic and epidemiological data of 186 music students who visited the musicians' outpatient clinic over a 5-year period were retrieved. Of these students, 122 had been diagnosed with PRP and were invited to participate (response rate 61.5%) in a follow-up online survey to: a) estimate the long-term course of their PRP symptoms, b) assess the efficacy of treatment methods they used, and c) assess their current trait anxiety (general and performance-related) using two standardized psychodiagnostic questionnaires. RESULTS: Two-thirds of music students who sought medical care were affected by PRP, with most being affected during their first year of studies, and with 69% having acute rather than chronic pain. The sudden increase in practice time was the main triggering factor for PRP (but not for non-PRP-related problems). Concerning the course of PRP, almost all students recovered or improved significantly. Students reported that "active" treatment methods (e.g., physical activities) were more effective than "passive" methods (e.g., oral medications). Psychodiagnostic questionnaires indicated that about 40% of PRP-affected students currently had increased levels of trait anxieties (music and non-music related), possibly warranting further medical assistance. CONCLUSIONS: PRP in music students occurs mainly at the beginning of their studies and has a good prognosis, although recovery may be lengthy. It is necessary to provide students with early information about PRP and about the multidimensional treatment framework that allows for individualized care of PRP in affected music students.

A very effective and highly innovative continuous flow reactor (CFR) for undertaking important large-scale photooxidations is presented. Until now, two major issues have obstructed the widespread use of photooxidation CFRs: 1) the detrimental effect of poor oxygen solubility on the rate of biphasic gas–liquid reactions and 2) the rapid attenuation of light by solutions which severely limits dimension-enlarging opportunities. Both problems are nullified by this novel and yet extremely simple reactor design. The reactor operates by nebulizing a photooxidation solution inside a cylindrical chamber surrounded by a low-energy LED strip. Thus, the interfacial area between the two phases is maximized, leading to greatly improved reaction rates and excellent light penetration. This pneumatic nebulizer-based photooxygenation system (NebPhotOX) can use air (as the oxygen source) and very concentrated photooxidation solutions. NebPhotOX has very high productivity and could potentially be scaled up easily to work in an industrial setting.

As modern technologies are becoming ubiquitous in healthcare, the aim of this chapter is to present an example from the field of work-related musculoskeletal disorders to illustrate the process of implementing technological tools in service of assessment procedures. In this example, we focus on musicians suffering from playing-related musculoskeletal pain. Playing a musical instrument requires extreme fine-motor control and the execution of sustained or repetitive motor patterns under abnormal and un-ergonomically static postures. Developing assessment tools for this professional population entails overcoming a variety of challenges, such as difficulties in the simultaneous recording of muscular and postural parameters, diverse biomechanics demanded by the different instruments during action execution, task specificity, lack of objectivity, etc. Here, we discuss these challenges and we describe our concept of integrating motion capture technology with electromyography and virtual and augmented reality tools to provide a powerful and personalized preventive, diagnostic and treatment solution for occupational musculoskeletal pain conditions.

Five musicians suffering from focal dystonia participated in a pilot study that examined the feasibility of an experimental protocol designed to assess musicians' motor performance under stress. Electrocardiography, free cortisol levels, and subjective assessments were used to monitor alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. As measures of motor outcome, temporal variability of finger movements and muscular cocontraction of the wrist flexor and extensor were assessed. Findings suggest that the specific experimental design could be successfully applied. Several methodological issues such as carryover effects, the use of free cortisol, the inclusion of a double baseline, and the classification of dystonic patients into stress responders and nonresponders are analyzed and discussed.

Recent investigations have suggested that stress can modulate motor function. However, the impact of stress on motor performance of musicians suffering from focal dystonia (FDM) remains unknown. The current study assessed motor performance in 20 FDM patients and 16 healthy musicians (HM) before and under stress. Stress was manipulated using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Motor performance was evaluated based on analysis of electromyographic (EMG) activity and temporal variability, while electrocardiography (ECG) and the level of free cortisol were used to test for objective alterations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Finally, the psychological profiles of both groups were analyzed using three psycho-diagnostic standardized questionnaires. Results showed that patients' motor impairments did not change under acute stressful conditions. However, an increase in muscular co-contractions was observed, reflecting a physiological muscular response under stressful conditions. Psycho-diagnostic analysis revealed higher levels of psychological traits related to elevated anxiety, stress and perfectionism in 40% of the patients. Although the motor outcome between those patients and those with an opposing psychological profile did not differ, patients characterized by stressful and perfectionistic personalities had, on average, developed dystonia about ten years earlier than the rest of the patients. The current study suggests that acute stress conditions may not have any direct impact on fine motor control of FDM patients. However psychological traits associated with increased stress, anxiety and perfectionism may have a long-lasting effect on the motor function of affected musicians, by promoting the acceleration or even the triggering of dystonia.

Abstract. Performing music at a professional level is probably one of the most complex human accomplishments requiring extensive training periods. The superior skills of musicians are mirrored in plastic adaptations of the brain involving gray and white matter increase in sensory motor and auditory areas and enlargement of receptive fields. Motor disturbances in musicians are common and include mild forms, such as temporary motor fatigue, painful overuse injuries following prolonged practice, anxiety-related motor failures during performances, and more persistent losses of motor control, termed “dynamic stereotypes.” Musician’s dystonia is characterized by a permanent loss of motor control when playing a musical instrument linked to genetic susceptibility and to maladaptive plasticity. In this review article, we argue that these motor failures developing on a continuum from motor fatigue to musician’s dystonia require client tailored treatment and accordingly specific psychological and neurological interventions.

Protic Ionic Liquids (PILs) are promising solvents with desirable physicochemical properties for a variety of applications. They are considered as greener alternatives to common organic solvents but in order to efficiently be characterized as green their environmental impact has to be assessed. In the present study, the design, synthesis and an initial potential hazard assessment of 11 naphthenic and benzoic acid based PILs is presented. PILs’ “greenness” is enhanced considering that they are non-toxic according to the aquatic toxicity evaluation and most of them show satisfactorily to extremely high biodegradability level. Moreover, two of their most important physicochemical properties, viscosity and glass transition temperature (Tg), were determined for selected ILs. The effect of the aromatic and alicyclic ring on the anions, the size and the presence of a hydroxyl substituent at anions and cations has been also discussed for the studied environmental and physicochemical properties. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

This chapter summarizes research on the effects of musical training on brain function, brain connectivity, and brain structure. First, it addresses factors inducing and continuously driving brain plasticity in dedicated musicians, arguing that prolonged goal-directed practice, multisensory–motor integration, high arousal, and emotional and social rewards contribute to these plasticity-induced brain adaptations. Subsequently, the chapter briefly reviews the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology underpinning musical activities by focusing on motor planning and motor control. A review of the literature on functional changes in brain activation and brain connectivity along with the acquisition of musical skills is provided. Structural adaptions in the gray matter of the brain and in fiber tract density associated with music learning are critically discussed. Finally, the chapter addresses the phenomenon of de-expertise, when intensive music-making induces dysfunctional changes of brain networks.